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The Oberelsbach born monastic composer Valentin Rathgeber is supposed to be the most famous personality among the petite masters of the late Baroque era. That is especially true regarding the productivity and practicability of his printed oeuve. Within a short time Rathgeber and his protestant publisher Johann Jacob Lotter from Augsburg evolved into the first address of sacred Catholic music in Southern Germany.

Rathgeber's market-dominating position resulted in the fact that all other Frankonian petite masters of Rathgeber's time did not get the same chance. On the following pages those Frankonian monastic musicians and composers will be featured who stem from the hinterland of the Rhoen mountains. Only the area of the former bishopric Wuerzburg could be considered. Since secularization and monastic neglect destroyed many works, the quality and productivity of these composers could hardly be assessed.